4, 7, 9 (11)-pregnatriene-3, 12, 20-trione and process



Patented June 22, 1954 4,7,9 11 PREGNATRIENE- 3,12,20-TRIONE AND PBOCES S Robert H. Levin, A. Vern McIntosh, Jr., and George B. Spero, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignors to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Application January 2, 1952, Serial No. 264,648

Claims. (Cl. 260-397.3) 1 2 The present invention relates to a steroid com- The starting compound from which l,7,9(ll) pound, 4,7,9(1l)-pregnatrien3,l2,20-trione, and pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione is prepared in accordto a process for its production. ance with the process of our invention is 3b-hy- This application is a continuation-in-part of droxy5,7,9(ll)-pregnatrien-l2-20 dione, which our copending application Serial No. 184,702, filed can be obtained as originally disclosed in our co- September 13, 1950, now Patent No. 2,623,043, to pending application Serial No. 184,702, filed Sepwhich reference is made also for the preparation tember 13, 1950, now Patent No. 2,623,043, by proof the starting compounds referred to in this oedures which consist essentially of the followspecification. ing

The 4,7,9(11) -pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione of this (l) Dehydroergosterol is converted to a 5,8-adinvention is represented by the following formula: duct with maleic anhydride or maleic acid EH.

Honigmann, Annalen 508, 89-98 (1934) CH3 (2) The dehydroergosterol adduct is esterified (311 at the three position by reaction, for example, 0 0:0 with benzoyl chloride, acetyl chloride, or formic CH3 acid.

(3) The resulting 3,8-acyloxydehydroergosterol adduct is ozonized and the ozonide reductively decomposed. in acetic acid solution with zinc dust to obtain a 3e-acy1oxybisnor5,7,9(11) cho1atrien- 1 22-a1 adduct. (See application of Robert H. Levin, Serial No. 111,100, filed August 18, 1949, now Patent No. 2,620,337, for details.)

(4) An enol ester of the resulting Sfi-acyloxy- The principal object of t present invention bisnor-5,7,9(11)-cholatrien-22-al adduct is preis to provide the novel compound, 4,7,9(11) -pregpa ed by reaction with the fl y e f an acid natrien 3,12,20 trione. Another object of the in the p e f a e al-Salt 0f the acid, the present invention is to provide a process for the 1 1 s r s OZO iZBd, and the OZonide decomproduction of this new compound. Other objects posed to produce a 3B-aCy y- -p and advantages of the invention, some of which e adduct s desfllihed in 0111 C D are referred to hereinafter, Wi11 be apparent to s pp c s Serial No. 111,974, filed Au us those skilled in the art to which the invention 1949, HOW ent No. ,6 0,338, and Serial No. pertaing 121,224, filed October 13, 1949, now Patent No.

The compound of the present invention i use- 21535,031- ful in the preparation of steroid compounds hav (5) The resulting -acy10xy-5, -p an oxygen t attached to carbon atom 1 natrien-iZO-one adduct is reacted with N-brornofor example the 43,9(11) pregnatrien 3,12,20- Succinimide bromine to produce a 3fia y ytrione may b reduced t hydrogen t preg... 12bromo-5,7,9(11)-pregnatrien 20 one adduct mane-3,12,20-trione [Selye, Encyclopedia of Endoas described in 0111' Copendihg applicatiOn Serial grinology Section I, vomme IV, 194 A w 11 40 No. 184,702, filed September 13, 1950, now Patent Franks Publishing Company, Montreal, p. 603], 25231343 and the product thus-produced converted by (5) e B- Y Y- p gknown procedures to an ll-oxygenated steroid. natrien-ZO-one adduct, on reaction with silver Such oxygen-containing steroids are of particunitrate yields a 3b-acyloxy-12-hydroxy-5,'7,9(l1)- lar interest because of the biological activity of pregnatrien-ZG-one adduct. the adrenal cortical hormones and certain known (7) The 3fi-acyloxy 12 hydroxy 5,7,9(11) derivatives thereof, which diiier markedly in their pregnatrien-ZU-one adduct is then oxidized with biological eiiects from steroids which lack oxygen chromic acid, to obtain a 3cacy1oxy-5,7,9(11)- in their structure. Because of the acute shortage pregnatrien-12,20-dione adduct. of adrenal cortical hormones and the lack of (8) The adduct radical of the resulting methods for their synthesis, the compound of the acyloxy"5,7,9 (11) -pregn-atrien-12,20-dione adduct present invention is an extremely useful starting is then removed by heating the adduct in the material for the production of oxygen-containing presence of an amine, to obtain a 3e-acylox steroids possessing desirable biological activity. 5,7,9(ll)-pregnatrien-12,20-dione, as more iully 3 described and claimed in our copending application Serial No. 223,134, filed May 24, 1951.

(9) The resulting 3c-acyloxy-5,7,9(ID-pregnatrien-12,20-dione is saponified with aqueous base, as described in our copending application Serial No. 231,904, filed June 15, 1951, now Patent No. 2,628,240, to produce 3c-hydroXy-5,7,9(11 pregnatrien-12,20-dione.

In accordance with the process of this invention the 3c-hydroxy-5,7,9(1l) pregnatrien-12,20- dione is converted to the desired 4,7,9(l1)-preg natrien-3,l2,20-trione by oxidation with an oxidizing agent such as, for example, aluminum isopropoxide with cyclohexanone, chromic acid, N- bromoacetamide, or an alkali-metal dichromate, with the latter being the preferred agent. Along with the conversion of the hydroxy group to the ketone group, an electron shift occurs in which the double bond in the 5-position migrates to the 4-position, thereby causing the 5,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione to isomerize and form 4,7,9(ll)-pregnatrien-3,12,20=-trione. The starting 3p-hydroxy-5,7,9 (11) -pregnatrien- 12,20-dione is dissolved in an organic solvent which is substantially water-immiscible. Solvents such as benzene, toluene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, normal hexane, ortho-chlorotoluene, carbon tetrachloride, and chlorobenzene may be ad-- vantageously employed, the latter solvent being preferred. The proper solvent is one which readily dissolves the steroid, is substantially nonreactive with the reactants and reaction products, and is substantially immiscible with water. The oxidizing media is prepared by dissolving an alkali-metal dichromate salt in water, the hydrated sodium dichromate (NaQCrzOmZI-IZO) being the preferred dichromate salt, although other dichomate or even chromate salts can be used. To the resulting aqueous alkali-metal dichromate solution is added an acid, for example, a mineral acid, such as sulfuric acid, or a sulfonic acid, such as para-toluene-sulfonic acid. The function of the acid is merely to furnish hydrogen ions in the oxidizing media and, therefore, acids such as sulfuric, phosphoric, and the like, may be employed. The solution of the starting -hydroxy- 5,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-12,20-dione in the organic solvent is then admixed with the aqueous oxidizing media, formed by reaction of the alkali-metal dichromate solution with the acid, at a temperature below about thirty degrees centigrade, a temperature range of from about minus thirty degrees centigrade to about thirty degrees centigrade being entirely satisfactory with about minus ten to plus ten degrees centigrade being the preferred temperature range. The order of mixing the reactants is not critical and admixing of the solutions is generally conducted by adding small portions of one solution to the other at the indicated temperatures, accompanied by continual stirring or other agitation. Upon completion of the oxidation, usually in from about one-half to eight hours, with about two hours being preferred, the organic layer is separated from the aqueous layer by conventional se aration procedures. The aqueous layer may then be extracted with successive portions of benzene or other organic solvent which is substantially water-immiscible and in which the product is soluble. The organic extracts are separated and combined with the first organic layer and the combined organic solution is then washed with successive portions of water and sodium bicarbonate solution to remove any acidic material.

intermediate The oxidized product may then be recovered from the organic layer by conventional procedure, such as drying over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtering and concentrating to give the desired 4,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-3,12,ZO-trione. Other conventional procedures for the separation of the product are satisfactory and may be employed if desired.

The following example is illustrative of the process and product'of the present invention, but is not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention.

Example.-4,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione One hundred fifty milligrams of 3B-hydroxy- 5,7,9(11) pregnatrien 12,20 dione was mixed with 5.3 milliliters of chlorobenzene and the resulting chlorobenzene solution added, in small portions, with continual stirring, to a mixture obtained by dissolving 707 milligrams of hydrated sodium dichromate (NazCrzOmZHzO) in 3.1 milliliters of water with 0.93 milliliter of concentrated sulfuric acid maintained in an ice-bath, and the resulting reaction mixture stirred for an additional two hours in an ice-bath. The chlorobenzene and aqueous layers were separated, and the aqueous layer extracted with two successive portions of benzene. The combined chlorobenzene and benzene layers were separated from the aqueous layer and washed successively with two fiftymilliliter portions of water, one -mi1liliter portion of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, and two fifty-milliliter portions of water. The organic layer was separated from the aqueous washings, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated to give the desired 4,7,9(1l)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione as a light straw-colored, viscous oil.

Analysis. Percent calculated for 021312493: C, 77.75; H, 746. Found: C, 77.68; H, 7.35.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of operation or the exact compound shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. 4,7,9 (1 l) -pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione.

2. A process for the production of ,7,9(11)- pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione which comprises the oxidation of the 3-hydroxy group of 3c-hydroxy' 5,7,9(11) -pregnatrien-12,20-dione with an oxidizing agent which provides at least one gram atom of oxygen per mole of steroid, and subsequently recovering the resulting 4,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione.

3. A process for the production of 439(11)- pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione which comprises the oxidation of the 3-hydroxy group of 3c-hydroxy- 5,7,9(l1)-pregnatrien-l2,20-dione dissolved in a water-immiscible organic solvent by stirring with an acidified aqueous solution of an alkali-metal dichromate, and subsequently recovering the resulting 4,7,9(1l)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione.

i. A process for the production of 4,736.1)- pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione which comprises the oxidation of the 3-hydroxy group of 3c-hydroxy 5,7,9(11)-pregnatrien12,20-dione dissolved in a water-immiscible organic solvent by stirring for about one-half to about eight hours with an acidified aqueous solution of sodium dichromate at a temperature between about minus thirty degrees centigrade to about plus thirty degrees cen- 5 tigrade, and subsequently recovering the resulting 4,7,9( 11) -pregnatrien-3,12,20-trione.

5. A process for the production of 4,7,9(11)- pregnatrien-3,12,20-tri0ne which comprises the oxidation of the 3-hydroxy group of 3B-hydroxy- 5,7 ,9 11) -pregnatrien-12,20-dione dissolved in chlorobenzene by stirring for about two hours at a temperature between about zero degrees centigrade and about plus ten degrees centigrade with an aqueous solution containing sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid, and subsequently recovering the resulting 4,7,9(11)-pregnatrien-3,12,20-

trione.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

1. 4,7,9(11)-PREGNATRIEN-3,12,20-TRIONE. 